Overview
- A paywalled web‑meeting audio published by Bunshun Online first revived allegations about negative videos during the ruling party’s leadership race, but independent verification of the voices has been made difficult by the membership barrier.
- The prime minister told lawmakers that his public secretary has not listened to the paywalled audio and that voice alone cannot reliably identify the speaker, and he has repeatedly denied any involvement in creating the videos.
- An IT company representative told reporters that he used his own generative AI to create and post a critical video about Defense Minister Shinjirō Koizumi after receiving a consultation from the prime minister’s aide, according to published reports.
- The prime minister’s office issued a written denial saying it never created, posted, or commissioned negative videos about other candidates and that it does not plan to reopen an internal probe.
- The episode has raised new questions about how to verify AI‑generated political content, the ethical and legal risks of using synthetic media in campaigns, and whether parliament or prosecutors will seek independent review.